Machining is a manufacturing process that involves shaping a piece of material to a final desired shape by removing material in a controlled manner. Since machining processes utilize machine tools like machining centers and work by removing material, they are often termed as subtractive manufacturing processes, unlike additive manufacturing, which involves а controlled addition of material.The concept of machining is to start with a bigger piece of material than the required part, and then remove the material with a controlled cutting tool.

In the modern manufacturing world, machining tools are controlled by Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technologies. It is a structured process that starts with a conceptual design of the desired shape and then proceeds with the execution of design on the machining tools. Machining is a prototyping and manufacturing process that creates the desired shape by removing unwanted material from a larger piece of material.